AMES graduates first student class

Fifty-one seniors who make up the first graduating class at the Academy of Math Science and Engineering turned their tassels Thursday after racking up 524 concurrent credit hours at the University of Utah.

That rings out to be tuition savings totaling more than $100,000 and gives graduates a leg up for college.

"They are indeed pioneers, willing to walk into untried territory," AMES principal Al Church said Thursday during the graduation at the University of Utah's Libby Gardner Hall. "They often referred to themselves as guinea pigs. They were subject to experimentation."

AMES is a public charter high school that provides students with a small focused learning community.

Through a partnership with the U., students are able to take college classes tuition-free while attending high school.

As the school's first graduating class, Liberty Afeaki said she and her AMES peers often had to pitch in to get the school functioning and had to get through tough start-up kinks with teachers.

Afeaki graduated with an associate's degree in medical assisting.

"I took the risk to open an enormous door. I'm not lost. I found my terrain, my compass, my future," she said.

Half of this year's class will be their families' first generation of college-bound students and some students will walk away with as many as 30 college credits.

"Every student graduating with this class is prepared for some kind of post-secondary program," Church said. "We are very proud of these kids. The teachers and staff are all feeling excited and proud for their future prospects."

Thirty-four of the seniors are headed for colleges or universities and have earned scholarships, grants and financial aid totaling more than $450,000, one of which was a Gates Millennium Scholarship.

Stephanie Martin chose AMES because she wanted more of a challenge in high school. The graduate said she found some of the most challenging moments of her life at the AMES school, but is now prepared to go onto college with several years of collegiate experience in tow.

"When we asked for a harder path, the faculty freely gave of themselves to make it harder," Martin said.

Students at the school are taught how to apply for college, look for scholarships and once in college, where they can go for help, Church said.

"We are trying to give students the sampling of what college rigor is all about but it's a sampling in a very supportive and nurturing environment so if they do struggle they have some support system in place," Church said. "And what better way to find out what college rigor is all about than to try it out before you get there."

"We have a motto 'no success without failure' — and we encourage kids to take risks."

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